Fuse



June 5, 1928. 1,672,261

G. KAHN FUSE Filed Oct. 1,, 1927 Patented June 5, 1928.

GEORGE KAHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FUSE.

Application filed October 1, 1927. Serial No. 223,325.

. My invention relates to electrical devices, and more particularly to a novel fuse-for use in the ordinary fuse box.

It is well known that various and divers forms of electric fuses have been introduced *to the trade from time to time, adapted to a different types of work, but they all have a fundamental objection, that is, that to replace the fuse element necessitates, in most cases, areplacement of the entire'fuse. The usual fuse embodies several parts that must be fitted and soldered together at the factory, and replacement requires the use of an entire newfuse plug, notwithstanding the fact that only the fuse element is destroyed. Another objection to the usual fuse, and especially in the home, is that the metallic binding necessary in such a fuse very often imparts an electrical shock to anyoneatticular use is burned out. Changing fuses in the home is sometimes dangerous, where the house fuse box is located in the basement, because of damp floors and consequent possibility of a shock. Before'changing fuses in the home,,the usual. practice is to pull out the supply switch while changing the fuse. By reason of this action, the entire house is without lights, while the fuse in one particular circuit is being changed.

The device of my invention is intended to eliminate the objections to the fuses heretofore offered, and in addition, to be of the utmost simplicity and greatest efliciency, as well as having the advantage of economical production.

My device consists in a pair of circular mica plates with a fuse between them, the ends of the fuse extending through parallel slots in the mica. i

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing,'in which: I Fig. 1 is a top plan view, somewhat enlarged, of a fuse constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofa base and plug taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4, showing the fuse applied thereto;

Fig. 4 is anend elevation of the plug showing the fuse as viewed through the aperture in the cap; and

temptin to ascertain whether or not the par- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of the fuse.

7 By referring to the drawings, and. more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the device of my invention comprises essentially, a-pair of circular mica plates, 10, 11, having parallel, oppositely disposed, registering slots, 12, 13 therein, an elongated fuse element, 14, and suitable means for securing the mica plates, such as rivets, 15, 16.

- The fuse is used in combination with the common two-piece separable screw plug, consisting of the cap, 17 having the two contact fingers, 18, 19 secured thereto, and the screw base, 20'having the apertures, 21, 22, adapted to register with the contact fingers, 18, 19. The head or cap, 17 of the plug is providedwith the usual opening 23 for the en.- trance of connecting wires (not shown).

The modification shown in section in Fig. 5 is similar in construction with that shown in the other figures, With the exception that the oppositely disposed slots are made wider, thus permitting the fuse element to lie fiat between the discs andv the extremities thereof to close theapertures instead of being bent slightly under.

The installation and operation of the device of my invention is of the most extreme simplicity. The plug, 20, is screwed into the socket provided in the fuse box (not shown) then the fuse is simply placed over the contact fingers of the cap and forced against the flat bottom of the cap 17. When the contact fingers 18, 19 are forced through the fuse openings, 12,13, in contact with the extremities of the fuse element, 14, the ends thereof are bent and will lie in contact with the inner surfaces ofthe two contact fingers for a portion of their length. Thereafter the cap 17 carrying the flat fuse, may be placed over the base 20 with the contact fingers, 18, 19 in the apertures, 21, 22 rovided. The circuit is therefore comp te,

since the fuse crosses the two points of contact. Thereafter the head, 17 with the fuse, which is attached thereto by the friction of the ends of the fuse element against the contact fingers, may beremoved from the base at any time for inspection, the rubber composition of the plug serving always as a protection against a shock.

The device herein illustrated is especially desirable from a standpoint of safety from fire. The flash incident to the blowing out of afus'e is confined within a very limited space, and out of contact with everything but the mica itself. 1 i

It is obvious that by removing the cap 17 from the base 20, the fuse being frictionally attached to the cap, and holding the cap toward the light, the condition of the fuse may readily be ascertained, the mica serving as a window, as best viewed in'Fig. 4. If the fuse is blown, .either a break, or a burnt patch will be seen. If the fuse is burned out, the user simply slips the fiat disc off and places another over the contact fingers, as described, and the fuse is renewed.

Thus it is seen that I have provided afuse for use. in the screw-socket type fuse box that is simple to install, efficient, economical except as indicated in the appended claims.

- tering slots therein, and an elongated fuse element, the extremities of sald fuse element I claim: 1 1. Afuse for electric circuits, comprising in combination, a pair of insulating discs having parallel, oppositely disposed, regisprojecting into the registering slots in said discs, and being adapted to be bent to contact, the inner faces of 'a pair of contact points of a plug.

2. A fuse plug, comprising, in combination, a casing of insulating material having parallel spaced apertures, extending sub-' stantia-lly thelength thereof, electric terminals in said apertures,a cap for said casing,

said cap being provided with a pair of par- 3. A fusecomprising a pair of insulating discs having oppositely disposed registering apertures, and afuse' element, said fuse element lyin between said discs and intermediate said openings, the ends of said fuse element being adapted to project into the openings in said discs.

4. A fuse comprising a pair-of insulating discs having oppositely disposed registering apertures, and a fuse element, said fuse element lying between said discs and inter-.

mediate said apertures, the ends of said fuse element closing the apertures in said discs and being adapted to be bent by the insertion of a pair of contact fingers between said apertures.

5. A fuse unit comprising a air of mica discs having a pair of space registering apertures, and a fuse strip confined between the discs with two ends of the strip projecting and terminating within the apertures.

ti. A fuse unit of the class described, com prising ign combination, a pair of spaced insulating discs having a pair of spaced, registering, oppositely disposed apertures, and a fuse strip confined between the discs with two ends of the. strip projecting and terminating within the apertures, said fuse unit being adapted to be used between the parts of a two-piece, separable plug.

In testnneny whereof I have afiixed my signature..-

GEORGE KAHN. 

